Travel Diary, United States

Making the Best of Branson

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dogwood canyon nature park missouri

We’re goin’ to Branson

Gonna mess around.

We’re goin’ to Branson,

Look out tchotchke town.

[sing to the tune of Johnny Cash’s Jackson]

Eric & I recently returned from a week in Branson, Missouri.  If you know anything about that town & you know anything about us, then you must be thinking…

Branson is everything we are not: over the top, focused on mass-tourism, super conservative, and catering to families with children.  So why on earth would this childless couple who usually avoids tourist traps spend our hard-earned vacation days visiting America’s “Bible Belt Vegas?”
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Travel Diary, Trip Planning, United States

Yellowstone South to West

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Grand Prismatic yellowstone

Day 3: Yellowstone South Entrance to West Loop

Drive Time: 5.5 hours

On day three of our family road trip to Yellowstone, we headed north from our lodging at Headwaters Lodge Flagg Ranch, passing through the South Entrance & heading towards Grant Village.  Our first stop was Moose Falls, which is close to the South Entrance.  It was a short, moderately steep walk to the waterfall & provided wonderful photo ops (especially in the early morning light) — a MUST stop if you’re planning your own trip. 
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Hiking, Travel Diary, United States

Yellowstone North to South

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bison buffalo yellowstone

Day 2: Yellowstone North to South

Drive Time: 5 hours

We spent our first night just outside the North Entrance of Yellowstone at Park Hotel Yellowstone in Gardiner, MT. LOVED it! Gardiner is a sleepy mountain town with lots of charm without feeling touristy. The Park Hotel is a family-run inn, beautifully decorated & in a prime location. A 1-night stay was expensive ($325), but it was comparable to what we’d pay during the summer within the park itself. Yellowstone in summer is NOT a cheap destination unless you camp or book early.
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